She is survived by her husband Dr. John D. Milam and their four children: Kay Milam of Louisville, KY; Beth Milam Carter (Jeff) of Coppell, TX, John Milam Jr. of Houston, TX, Julie Milam Terrier (Marc) of Mill Valley, CA; Four grandchildren Caroline and Catherine Carter and Vincent and Violet Terrier; sister Martha Gail Ritchie of Morgan Hills, CA and nephew Mark Ritchie (Wendy) also of Morgan Hills, CA.
A huge heartfelt thanks goes out to Hilda Rivas for all of the extraordinary love, devotion and care she has shown to Carol and John over the years. The Milam family is also forever in debt to Carol’s entire medical team.
Carol was born on April 6, 1936 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Jack & Elizabeth Jones. She grew up in Baton Rouge, majored in Biology at Louisiana State University and later worked as a Medical Technologist.
While attending LSU, she met John, the love of her life. Married for 61 years, Carol and John traveled extensively together & did most everything they ever wanted. If you asked her advice on how to live a rich and rewarding life, she would likely say “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Carol was an avid reader, lover of animals (both tame & wild) and enjoyed bird watching in the backyard sanctuary. A stray cat never left the yard hungry, nor did baby possums or raccoons. The Milam family had several dogs and cats, one cockatiel, three different horses, two cotton-tail rabbits, numerous chickens, gerbils and a white mouse that John brought home from the lab. Carol was perfectly fine with this.
She treasured long phone conversations with her sister Martha Gail on Saturday afternoons that often lasted a couple of hours. She cherished her role as “Grammy” and would always have plenty of crafts and activities prepared for the grandchildren when they would come to visit.
She also enjoyed her time with her book club friends and once belonged in three book clubs simultaneously.
Paying it forward was extremely important to her. Carol taught Sunday school for years, volunteered at the Children’s Assessment Center, helped out at the school library, and tutored at the Houston Literacy Association. She was a member of the UT Faculty Wives Club, was the treasurer for the Women of Fortune Investment Club and a member of the Gamma Chapter of the Houston Assembly of Delphians.
She learned to play the piano as an adult, loved going to museums and appreciated both art and music. She will be remembered for her quick wit, her down to earth disposition, her sweet smile and her kindness to others.
To celebrate her life, visitation will be held at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 14. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday May 15 at Tallowood Baptist Church and the burial will be at Memorial Oaks at 11:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, she requested that you take the time to read a good book and share your insights with a friend. She would truly love this.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18